Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute released a report that looks into cleaner, more advanced technologies that would modernize Northwest Indiana's steel industry.
The institute and 5 Lakes Energy collaborated on the report, “Jobs in the Balance: Building Toward a Clean Steel Transition in Indiana.” It was commissioned by Indiana Conservation Voters.
“Northwest Indiana has been the backbone of American steelmaking for generations,” said ERI Executive Director Gabriel Filippelli, a report co-author, in a press release. “But the technologies that built that legacy are now putting the Region at a competitive disadvantage. Our analysis shows that modernizing these mills offers a path to slow or reverse decades of job losses while ensuring the industry has a future in Indiana.”
Blast furnaces at Gary Works and Burns Harbor both are scheduled to be relined this year and next. The upgrades would ensure coal-based steel technology is used into the 2040s.
Northwest Indiana's three steel mills produce about 47% of the country's steel, according to the report. Burns Harbor, Indiana Harbor and Gary Works are three of seven steel mills in the U.S.
“These technologies are already being deployed across the United States and globally,” said 5 Lakes Energy Lead Consultant Elizabeth Boatman, who contributed to the report. “If Indiana invests in modernization now, the state can remain a national leader in steel while capturing new economic opportunities tied to clean energy and advanced manufacturing.”
The researchers said the steel mills could transition to cleaner models with money already allocated for upgrades.
“Cleaner steelmaking wouldn’t just provide a boost to the economy of Northwest Indiana,” Filippelli said. “It would also lead to improved air and water quality, reduced health care costs for Hoosier families, and a higher quality of life for communities like Gary and East Chicago. The health and environmental benefits of making these investments would be transformational.”
Learn more about Indiana University's Environmental Resilience Institute here.
